me & tomfoolery

U+Me pt. 3 | Jordan Poole Short Story

Three Months Ago ...

Golden Doddle 💛
Hey I'm in your city, I wanna see you.

Seven looked over the text message as she entered her home. She had just left her last client of the day and was exhausted from work. The Capital wasn't as bad as people said it to be. Crime rate was high but the richness of the city and the culture was higher.

Not many people knew where she lived, they just knew she was on the east coast and her sister was on the west. She made a lot of house calls and that's why she could travel anywhere, anytime.

Her FaceTime sound connected to her speaker which she quickly answered to not hear it throughout the house.

"Hey, I'm just getting in. Give me a moment."

"Cause you like to ignore texts, I had to call you." Jordan joked as he adjusted his AirPod. After their wax session, Jordan was on her phone all the time. She didn't mind it though, he was nice to talk to. He bought her lunch and stayed until her next client came, the next time they saw each other, she was in the Bay and attended one of his games with her sister.

Selena didn't like anyone and for some reason liked Jordan for Seven.

They saw each other in New York after one of his games and now he was in DC for some reason and wanted to see her. 

"How was your day?" He asked as she finally cracked open a bottle of wine. "I'm so tired, I was sent the wrong location and had to go from South East to Upper Marlboro in the middle of rush hour."

"That sounds shitty, I'm sorry."

"You're cute for apologizing." She giggled. "You said you wanted to see me? What you doing out here?"

"Minding your business. So you gonna let me pull up since you won't let me take you out?"

Seven always found a reason not to go out with Jordan but he was persistent. She did like the time that she spent with him.

"I'll send you the address."

••••

"You live here by yourself?" Jordan took his shoes off at the door and out the way.

"Mhm. Make yourself comfortable Doodle."

"You and that nickname is something else."

In the literal sense Jordan's player ways reminded her of a dog, but upon getting to know him, she learned that he was a little sweetheart on the inside. She settled on one of the most lovable dogs there was: a golden doodle. It always was a giggle that he played for Golden State.

"You know, you're one of the only people who know where I live and have been in this space."

"So I'm special?" He asked placing her leg over his lap. "If that's what you want to think." She smirked leaning into him.

Present Day...

"Love bug, are you gonna tell us who that was?" Audi asked scooping more ice cream into her bowl.

Juan already had the popcorn ready and sat on the couch next to Seven who stared blankly at her phone. She had been down memory lane, looking at a locked folder of her and Issac. Something she hadn't deleted yet.

"Remember that fight I told you about at my ex's house?"

"The one where you knocked a bitch lights out? How could I forget!?" Juan was excited to hear more about the mess. "Wait, it was her?!"

"You beat Cierra's ass?" Audi asked for clarification. "Yes."

"Damn, the world is really small." Sitting between her favorite people, Audi handed them their spoons. "Does he know?"

"He knows the story, he doesn't know it's her. Well, I don't know if he knows it's her."

Seven hadn't been able to get seeing Cierra and the memories that came with her out of her mind. Jordan since had texted her but she didn't give him much room to speak. She didn't know what to say and she didn't want to snapped in him. It wasn't worth it.

"What you about to do man? Like you like him right?"

Seven did like Jordan. She was afraid of commitment and that made her push him away. He was right when he asked if he were special. To her, he was. He was gentle with her and made her smile.

"I'm a fucking idiot." She repeatedly slapped her forehead in frustration, "Why did I push him away?"

"Because you were thinking with your brain, and not your heart. Which happens when you're coming from pain."

"Arrianna is right, you gotta stop holding yourself back but ain't nobody mad at you for having reservations about Jordan. He young, he rich, he's a reformed whore."

"Reformed?" Audi tilted her head to the side.

"Reformed! Bro changed."

"Not bringing that girl into my gender reveal he hasn't. I still want to pluck him for that." Audi added. "But lovebug, you do need to make a choice."

••••

"This could've been a triple date you know." J2 reminded Jordan as they walked through the art exhibit. They were in a group of five, Jordan being the odd man out but that wasn't what bothered him.

Two Months Ago...

"Thank you for inviting me to the game and the last one. I had a good time." Jordan and Seven walked along the San Francisco streets. Not many people were out and the night was young in their minds.

"I'm glad you did. Your sister enjoyed it?"

"She couldn't stop talking about seeing Klay play live. She loves that man." The giggle she let out after was cute to him. "I'll be sure to put in a good word."

Their walking slowed down as they approached a food truck in an open area with the perfect view of the bridge.

"So is this gonna be considered our first date?" He asked kicking some random rock that wasn't in his way.

Seven quickly shook her head, "No. This is Doodle and Patch hanging out."

Patch. The nickname he gave her after seeing a baby picture of her. He said she had the stank face of a sour patch but the cheeks of a cabbage patch.

"Yeah, got it." Jordan didn't take rejection well. He would shut down and use other vices to deal with that feeling. He couldn't understand why he was still trying when it seemed like she was fine with being friends.

"Did you start reading the book I sent you?"

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore was a book she found during her time in Barnes & Noble waiting for the Starbucks line to get shorter. She didn't speak to him that day but he crossed her mind and that's why she got it.

"I read the first chapter on the plane back from Toronto. It's good so far." It lifted his spirits that she mentioned that but it didn't change the fact that he was upset with himself. He was falling deeper into a hole he wasn't sure he could get out of.

"Next time you out here, you wanna go to an art exhibit?"

Present Day

This was the art exhibit he wanted to take Seven to but there he was, walking through it alone. There was a specific section he wanted her to see about black women in beauty. He avoided it in hopes she would come with him before she went back out East.

A true hopefulness romantic.